As we continue to explore the theme of Wellbeing and Resilience, our focus for this week has been around the idea of connection. What does it mean to live in connection? Why is connection important?
We think Dorothy Day sums it up well. At the heart of our wellbeing triangle sits the soul and it is there as an acknowledgement that we are all more than the ‘skin and bones’ we walk around in. The soul is the ‘non materials self’; the bit that cannot be seen or quantified. In many religious traditions it is thought to be the heart of a person; the seat of emotions and where personality originates from. It’s at the heart of our wellbeing triangle because what we’re proposing is that just as the body needs proactive care to thrive, so too the soul needs care and attention.
So where does connection come in?
For our soul to be well, we suggest that you need to be living in connection. When we talk about connection we focus this around three different things; connection with self, connection with others and connection with a sense of Other. You can find out more about what that individually looks like in our blog series.
These three areas are equally important; without them we lose a sense of balance and the things that are important. To live consistently in connection with others without connecting with what is important for you can leave you feeling lost, tired out and with a sense of feeling that you aren’t sure what you value. Living in connection with yourself, your values, what matters but never connecting with others can bring a feeling of loneliness, of facing life’s struggles without companions to carry you. This is where the triangle is important. This short video gives an idea of why balance matters and how covid has had an affect on that.
Are you living connected?
Living in connection doesn’t mean blindly sailing through a covid world in complete happiness. Life will always have struggles but when we are living in balance, we find that we might approach times of difficulty in a different way or we might find it easier to keep going or pick ourselves up.
Our personal wellbeing audit is a simple, five minute check in on you that can help you to reflect on where you may or may not be living in connection.
As we mentioned in the video, we’ve also produced this simple three part activity focused around living in connection with self, with others and with a sense of Other that can support you to think about how you are connecting. Take some time with a cuppa to go through one of these activities or, if you’ve got a bit more time, sit with all three.